18.6.08

National Character Erosion

Was what the murrabi told me what had occured in recent decades in Bangladesh. Kudos to those who remain fortresses, Lord help me. There is NO development speak, NO human rights bitching, there are NO poverty reduction strategy papers and there are NO annual development plans addressing this. I think this is where the deen and dunya meet most obviously.

There is only political abdication, and intellectual abdication by harmful athiests in an essentially christian civilisational clothing of secularism. No Akhlaqi - Nasiri tome of practical ethics for our times then ey? Give us a glossy manual of HIV/AIDs instead please, Give me some trees to plant while you industrialise, continue to suck my blood like a leech while i fight with myself.

Yet character/behaviour are the most identified signs of individual quality by the Bangladeshi. It is the latent objective of parents and grandparents, but its hard and the collective chops arent working as well as they could. This is no rose tinted view of a golden past, I need no social scientific methodological mojo. This is known.

"Since [the liberation of] Bangladesh, there has been lots of development, but people’s character has become ruined” Aged 60, ex- Freedom fighter

“From the 50s to the 70s people wouldn’t give short weight. In the 60s corrupt families would be shamed and society would be ashamed of them. Now the values are inverted.” Aged 70, Retired engineer

The most clearly identified social quality that I find is of a 'conflict free environment', which makes Javed Ahmad Ghamidi's understanding of adab (manners) leading to greater adl (justice) in society clear. That Our Nabi was sent only to perfect good manners is the key.

With bucket loads of people in the same space competing for finites resources and positions, the adab thing is possibly the most crucial pillar of Our Futures. However when your knowledge culture is so fragmented, alienated from its fitra and immobile, there is no public sphere for this clear realisation to refine.

Leadership, which I accord to the man or woman who is able to solve problems, should have a look. Perhaps this kind of stuff is too obvious to write down, but it is the essence of civilisation. When in the company of someone of great quality, you wonder how this persons technique was cultivated. Looking at the differences in behaviours, 'moves' and traditions in families... who sculpted what and when? How do people improve and others get worse? This beautiful gesture that you made.... how much was inspiration of the moment... and how much was built generations ago?

One does not ramdomly shake some sand and create a Rolex. Craftsmanship.